With the festival of Diwali round the corner, scientists have warned of "very poor" to "severe" air quality levels in the national capital.

According to a scientist, this is a seasonal phenomenon which will have effect on the air quality. He added that many parts of India have started to become colder than Delhi and with the no wind, the pollution levels are bound to rise. (Reuters)

The air quality in the national capital seems to be hovering between “good” and “moderate” and as per experts, the seasonal transition might worsen the condition, reports TOI.

On Saturday, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) showed PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) level in “poor” category. According to a scientist, this is a seasonal phenomenon which will have effect on the air quality. He added that many parts of India have started to become colder than Delhi and with the no wind, the pollution levels are bound to rise.

As per experts, due to an adequate rainfall this year, Delhi witnessed a long period of “good” air quality. A scientist from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said that because of calm climatic conditions, the polluting particles are not getting dispersed. On Saturday, bothe the maximum and minimum temperatures were slightly above normal, while the wind speed was recorded very “low.”

The AQI in cities such as Faridabad, Gurgaon, Kanpur, Agra, Jodhpur and Lucknow, normally more polluted than Delhi, had better “moderate” or “satisfactory” air quality on Saturday. With the festival of Diwali round the corner, scientists have warned of “very poor” to “severe” air quality levels.